174 - (Eb) Swiss Ébauches bicompax chronograph, 1950s,

(Eb) Swiss Ébauches bicompax chronograph, 1950s, Silver-plated metal dial with gold faceted-style hands, gold arrow-style hour markers alternating with Arabic numerals. Small seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock and minute counter at 3 o’clock. Peripheral tachymeter scale. Gold central chronograph hand. Round plated case with round pushers on the right for chronograph functions, screw-down stainless steel case back, and fluted plated crown. Acrylic plexiglass crystal. Hand-wound mechanical movement, Landeron Caliber 48 with 17 jewels, chronograph function (cam and lever clutch). Fitted with a black leather strap with a gold buckle. The watch has stopped due to a lack of maintenance by a watchmaker. Measurements: 37 mm case diameter (not including the crown or pushers) Before the introduction of this mechanism, developed by the Swiss firm Charles Hahn & Cie in 1937, chronographs were highly luxurious items that were very complex to manufacture. The Landeron 48 caliber changed history by replacing the expensive “pillar wheel” with a cam-switching system. This reduced production costs without sacrificing reliability, allowing the middle class to purchase a chronograph for the first time. It was one of the greatest feats of watchmaking engineering of the 20th century. Provenance: Family bequest of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. An art and heritage collection whose origins lie in the legacy of the Catalan painters Ramon Martí Alsina (1826–1894), a key figure in 19th-century Catalan realism, and his son Ricard Martí Aguiló (1857–1935). Passed down and enriched over successive generations, the collection brings together works from the original estates of both artists, along with new acquisitions made by their descendants. They maintained a special dedication to the preservation and restoration of the family legacy, acquiring works by the painters themselves as they came onto the market and progressively expanding the collection with paintings, sculptures, archaeological pieces, and other objects of artistic and historical interest. In the descriptions of the watches, the phrase “it works” means that the watch is functioning. Since collector’s watches typically have delicate and complex mechanisms, the buyer is responsible for any general servicing, inspection, battery replacement, adjustment, or repair that may be necessary. We do not guarantee the perfect functioning of any watch. All photographs of our watches are original and were taken by our photographers; in other words, we do not use stock photography, which is why the photographs are considered part of the catalog entry.